[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/librarycampout08.jpg” caption=”Students Shazeen Dhala and Jeremy Landon camp out to support the 2009 Live in for Literacy campaign. Photo by Matt Terry. “]Second year philosophy student Jeremy Landon and second year English student Shazeen Dhala normally spend plenty of time in McMaster's campus libraries; however, over the next ten days the pair will be taking it to the extreme as they camp out 24-7 in the lobby of Mills Memorial Library to support the 2009 Live in for Literacy campaign, raising money to help construct nine school libraries in India through a charity called Room to Read.

Starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 16 until Monday, January 26, Landon and Dhala are spending every waking and sleeping hour in plain view of the crowds of library visitors that pass through the Mills' lobby each day. Their entire lives will also be broadcast over the web 24 hours a day and they won't leave their roped-off corner of the lobby except for the five minute break each of them is allowed every hour.

Bhoth Landon and Dhala will be keeping up with their studies during the ten day live-in and have made arrangements with their instructors regarding missed classes and assignments. One of the campers even made arrangements to have one of her tutorials held in the library.

“Everyone's been really great about helping us keep up with our academic work,” says Dhala. “My T.A. had no problem moving the location and the library staff have been wonderful about making sure we have space.”

Associate University Librarian Vivian Lewis says, “The students were so surprised that we agreed to let them camp out here! The truth is we were thrilled about the idea and jumped at the opportunity to help out in any way we could.”

The event came close to being canceled when, with just weeks to go, organizers had trouble finding a second camper to participate. They sent out messages via a Facebook group created in support of the event and managed to locate a second volunteer.

“Initially, I was just a member of the Facebook group to show my support,” says Dhala. “I had no idea at the time that I woud be involved in any way. It was a great cause, but it didn't seem like something I could manage at the time, with classes and other activities. However a second camper was needed, and if a second person could not be found, the event was going to be canceled. I knew someone had to step up and do something they wouldn't ordinarily do to prevent a cancellation, and I saw no reason why that someone couldn't be me. So I got in touch with the organizers, and luckily I was able to become a part of this.”

The event is part of a larger campaign, with other students camping out at the libraries of Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of Toronto, Concordia University, Queen's University, Laurentian University and University of British Columbia. Together, they hope to raise $40,000. McMaster organizer Karishma Kak hopes that the McMaster contingent can raise $5,000. In addition to accepting donations on site, volunteers are selling t-shirts for $7.50 each.

More information on the event, including how to make a donation, can be found at www.liveinforliteracy.com.